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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-13 Daily Xml
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Motions

Morocco Earthquake

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:37): I move:

That this house—

(a) notes the devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that has struck central Morocco at 11.11pm local time on Friday 8 September, killing thousands of people, injuring similar numbers and causing severe destruction across the country;

(b) acknowledges the critical work of rescue crews that have desperately searched for survivors in the immediate aftermath, as well as health workers and first aid providers who are providing the immediate health response;

(c) notes the ongoing impact and displacement that will face many Moroccan people following the earthquake;

(d) acknowledges the impact this earthquake will have on the small but growing South Australian Moroccan community. The South Australian government stands with our Moroccan community, especially those who have family and friends in affected areas; and

(e) extends on behalf of the South Australian government our condolences to the people of Morocco and their families and friends here and abroad.

I rise today to convey my sincere condolences to the global Moroccan community in the wake of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that truck the country just after 11pm local time on Friday 8 September. The epicentre was located in Al Haouz in the High Atlas mountain range near Marrakech. Shocks were felt in Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and neighbouring towns, causing widespread panic among the impacted population.

This is the biggest earthquake in Morocco in over a century. The Moroccan government has assessed that over 300,000 have been displaced by the earthquake and are now homeless. The media is reporting that nearly 3,000 people have died and that another 2,500 have been injured.

Witnessing the media reports of the devastation has been harrowing. Whole families have been killed, children orphaned, families made homeless, villages destroyed and historic buildings potentially lost forever. Our hearts are with the Moroccan people and those immediately affected. The fact that much of the housing and buildings in the rural areas are typically made of mudbricks has complicated the situation immensely.

The immediate impacts are often what we see the most, but there are going to be long-term consequences that can impact those affected for many years to come. We know that the aftershocks will continue to cause havoc in the area, which will potentially cause additional damage. Rebuilding will take a lot of time and there are going to be a significant portion that will be displaced. This will be an enormous emotional toll on the community, and we know that the Moroccan diaspora around the world will be called upon to support people as they build back their lives.

Of course in these moments of despair there are also moments of hope and small moments of joy when loved ones have been found and reunited with their families. This is an opportune time to recognise the rescue crews, first responders and health providers who are working around the clock in such difficult circumstances and putting their own lives at risk. From an Australian perspective, at this stage the Australian government is not aware of any Australian casualties or hospitalisations.

While the Australian government has not received a specific request from Morocco for assistance, it is my understanding that they are ready to consider any such requests in the future. Australia already contributes to the International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Release Emergency Fund (DREF). The fund has already released one million Swiss francs to assess the response of the local Moroccan Red Cross Society.

South Australia is home to a relatively small but growing Moroccan community. The 2021 Census reported 111 Morocco-born people in South Australia, up from the 80 reported in 2016 and up from the 58 in 2011. I want to convey our thoughts to our community here, especially anyone whose friends or loved ones have been impacted by these tragic events. I can only imagine the worry and concern that our Moroccan community is facing, with loved ones impacted or simply seeing their fellow Moroccans go through such tragic circumstances.

It was only a few weeks ago that we were celebrating together with the Moroccan women's national football team, who debuted at the FIFA Women's World Cup this year, the first country in the Arab world to do so since the competition was established in 1991. At the games played here in Adelaide and throughout the tournament, crowd support from Morocco was strong and a passionate community spirit was clear for us to see.

All South Australians stand with Morocco in the wake of this devastating earthquake and our thoughts remain with our wider Australian Moroccan community at this time. While I am talking about the earthquake in Morocco, I think it is important for me to mention the terrible floods in Libya. Once again we see a tragic disaster that has caused mass destruction in a country. They estimate that more than 2,000 people have died, but that number could increase to more than 5,000. Reports have also stated that 10,000 people are missing.

I want to convey the state government's condolences to those impacted, and the thoughts of the South Australian government are also with the community here. It is a very small Libyan community, but we are more globally connected than we have ever been before. We know that the world saw Australia when we suffered from our bushfires and our floods. We had incredible donations here internationally, so we know the world responds for us when we are in pain, and of course we want to give attention to those. It is only a year ago that Turkiye suffered such a devastating earthquake as well.

When we see these pictures on our screens, it is hard to comprehend the massive trauma that comes not just from trying to build back the basics of sanitation and power but from all that has been lost and generations who are impacted. To build back normality for those children will take time. We think about the devastation. We take a moment to reflect, and our thoughts are with them. I support the motion, and I think those who will also speak to this motion will as well.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (15:44): On behalf of the opposition, I rise to provide the Liberal Party's support for the motion that the Minister for Multicultural Affairs has provided to this chamber. I will keep my remarks fairly brief because no doubt the sentiment of what is said across the chamber today will be very similar amongst members.

It is exceptionally difficult to know what to say at a time when a particular community in South Australia, geographically distant from their homelands or their place of heritage, know that there is significant suffering, anguish and great uncertainty facing their family, their loved ones and people they do not even necessarily know but people they feel a connection to because of their cultural roots. That anguish and uncertainty that the Moroccan community are facing in South Australia at the moment on behalf of their fellow Moroccans back in Morocco who have been afflicted by this natural disaster are no doubt almost immeasurable and indescribable in mere words.

It is fair to say that the opposition is in entire agreement with the government and the words of the minister. This is a terrible tragedy. It is one that is of course playing out via the media, whether it is TV, radio or social media. We see pictures, we hear stories, we hear individual anecdotes. Increasingly and most disturbingly, I think, what we are hearing is that assistance, aid in terms of rescue personnel and also medicines and food and water, does not appear to be getting to where it needs to as quickly as it might otherwise have been foreseen to get there.

That is greatly concerning, and so it has been heartening to see that the federal government has indicated that assistance will go from Australia. Of course, we support that as well at a national level, and we are grateful for Australia providing that assistance and expertise to Morocco. The Moroccan community in South Australia, albeit small, is passionate and intent on keeping its heritage, its stories and its traditions alive and shared in this state. The opposition want to express our heartfelt condolences, our thoughts and, if we are of faith, our prayers to the Moroccan people.

We join with the government in extending our hand of friendship to the Moroccan community. We hope that the Moroccan community in South Australia do not know too many people who are personally impacted by this natural disaster, but regardless of whether there are individuals who have been personally impacted or not, those cultural ties and that feeling of great grief for their homeland will be immense. Our condolences are extended to the Moroccan community in greatest sincerity.

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (15:48): It is with great sadness that I rise today to address this motion, which of course marks the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on Friday just south, I believe, of Marrakesh. When the first news reports came through, I really did feel very strongly for the people in Morocco because, 10 years ago, I had the great opportunity of spending a month in Morocco. It was an amazing experience, which I will tell you a bit about.

Of course, when you see images on the television that you can recognise and are familiar to you, it does tug at the heartstrings that little bit more. You really do feel for those people, having met so many people in Morocco and understood just a little of their culture and their way of life, and just how beautiful the people are there. It was really shocking to me to see those images unfold on television.

I thank the minister for bringing this motion today and for this house to have an opportunity to articulate our feelings for those on the other side of the world and for those Australian Moroccans here in South Australia and across our nation who will no doubt be feeling for their families, their loved ones and also their nation as a whole. It is going to have a pretty incredible journey to recovery after this, certainly after a period of very deep grief, so my thoughts certainly are with them.

When I was fortunate enough to go over there it was not for work or anything; it was simply that I was quite fascinated with Morocco and chose to take a break over there. Initially, I was going to go to Spain as well, but I was so fascinated by Morocco that I ended up spending my entire break there. It is just a feast of culture, food, dance and entertainment, and it is a wonderful place because it is such a clash, or a celebration really, of different cultures. It is a place where East meets West, where French culture mixes with Arabic culture and Muslim culture, and somehow it all works together to create a quite special place and somewhere you cannot help but be fascinated by and drawn into the country, as it is such a heady and rich environment while you are there.

Morocco is also a place of great beauty, beautiful landscapes and desert landscapes, and also very dense metropolises, particularly in the medinas in places like Fez. When I went I was slightly ill-prepared. I did not check the calendar and did not realise it was Ramadan for the entire month I was there. There were lots of very hot days, very sweaty days and days of very quietly sipping water from under one's top or jacket because of course the local people were marking Ramadan and did not even drink water during the day, even on those incredibly hot days. At night-time, the markets would just explode with colour and music and festivities to mark their religious rituals.

It was very special to be able to be there at that time, but it also presented a few problems for rather novice travellers. I remember the late-night markets. I remember being in Jemaa el-Fnaa, which is a square in Marrakesh, and it is every bit that you would imagine. There are snake charmers and there are markets selling all sorts of furnishings and things. In my home at the moment I still have a rug on the wall, a beautiful rug that I bought there and carted around. I really should have waited until the last day, but I carted it around for most of my time in Morocco and brought it all the way back from Morocco. I have had it ever since, and it is up on my wall and reminds me of those fantastic times.

I also remember in Marrakesh itself the Jardin Majorelle, which is an amazing place that the Parisian fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent, actually established. It was where Yves Saint Laurent lived, and there is a great legacy there of these amazing lush gardens in the middle of a pretty arid climate which welcomes many, many tourists. There are manicured gardens: you can look in one direction and see what you would swear is a beautiful impressionist painting with waterlilies and a pond, and you can look in another direction and swear that you are looking at something from Picasso or Matisse. It is an absolutely spectacular place and a really cool haven in the middle of what otherwise can be a rather hot and oppressive city.

I remember being in Rabat, where there are whitewashed homes perched on the edge of the cliff at the beach, teetering on the edge. You can go for a swim if you so dare. Of course, in a Muslim nation you would have to be clothed head to toe to go for a swim, so that is quite an experience in itself. Walking through those little lanes and chatting to the locals as they are going about their business in these almost iridescent whitewashed houses is an experience in itself.

I also remember the medina of Fez. It is a walled city, which has quite a metropolis in it and where markets and homes all mix in together in buildings that are, well, questionable by Australian building standards. It is a hive of activity, and within each of those are riads—palatial homes, really—most of which are now hotels and tourist accommodation.

Essentially they are similar to the medina design itself, with a central square and then a multi-storeyed square shape around the outside of the square, and were used to house big families. They are now meticulously restored with beautiful mosaics and tile work; some of them even have water features and pianos. The rooms have been meticulously brought up to modern standards, and are quite an attraction for tourists like myself.

Each of the places just mentioned felt the impact of the earthquake. It is quite incredible to think that places like Rabat and Fez and Marrakesh, even Casablanca, felt the aftershocks of this earthquake. Those towns basically span the entire country, so essentially the entire country of Morocco, from one side to the other, felt the impact of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

That is quite stunning when I consider the long train journeys I took between those major cities, including Casablanca—I actually went to Rick's Cafe and watched the movie Casablanca and had a cocktail there; it was quite an experience—when I think about the hours and hours spent on trains, that that is how far those aftershocks spread right across the nation. I cannot imagine the fear people would have felt in those cities that would have been many, many hours away, and also, of course, those at the epicentre and in Marrakesh itself.

As I mentioned, when you go around Morocco you notice that some of the housing is incredibly old but also not really built in any way that resembles Australian standards of building. Those traditional ways of building in themselves have unfortunately contributed to the incredible loss of life and the incredible destruction in Morocco that we see now on our television screens. Some of those clay buildings have simply crumbled and are essentially just piles of dirt.

Of course, we know there are many people under there who are slowly being recovered by rescue forces; unfortunately, not as many are being pulled out alive as we would hope. It is just horrible to think that those beautiful buildings I saw and admired when I was walking down lanes have become the resting place for so many Moroccan citizens.

Another difficulty that will be very hard for Morocco—and other speakers have mentioned this, including the Leader of the Opposition—is that we are now seeing reports of delays in getting emergency help out to people who really need it. That is being hindered by the infrastructure of the country in terms of its roads and building structures and also by the government and political structures not just in Morocco but more generally in that part of the world.

That causes us to reflect on how lucky we are here, that when emergencies and disasters occur in Australia we are very fortunate to have a well set up government structure as well as highly skilled professionals who dedicate their lives to making sure they can react the moment we need them most. The difficulty in places like Morocco—and I will speak about Libya briefly, as well—is that they do not have those systems set up in the same way they might be in some other nations.

That will definitely be a stumbling block for them in this immediate period of getting emergency assistance out to people and saving what lives they can, but also in the recovery effort. That requires an incredible amount of government assistance and coordination, and I really do fear for people in Morocco that they are not as fortunate in having the government systems around them that they so need at this time.

The international community has offered quite a deal of assistance to Morocco, but unfortunately the assistance of only four nations has been accepted so far by the Moroccan government. I do not know the reasons for that. There have apparently been some concerns about flooding the country with additional people from foreign nations at a time when the infrastructure is not coping with the people who are there.

I do hope that the government can find its way to coordinating the massive amount of assistance that is on offer from the international community, including Australia, and that it is put to good use as soon as possible for the preservation of life and also for the clean-up and the recovery to come. As I said, we are very lucky to have expert assistance in this country from our SES, CFS and others, and we wish the emergency workers over in Morocco every fortune in their incredibly difficult task.

I would also really like to shout out to people in Libya who have hit been hit by Storm Daniel in the last 24 to 48 hours. There has been an incredible loss of life there, and the current estimate is that more than 2,000 lives have been lost, which is a number that is quite mind-blowing to think that all those lives have been lost. Libya is in a similar situation, with some governmental structures that are going to make life pretty difficult for people moving on. Again, I hope that they take advantage of the world's empathy for them, with Australia and other nations putting forward what help they can.

I again thank the minister for putting forward this motion, and I send all my best wishes to the wonderful people of Morocco and Libya. Our hearts are with them.

Ms SAVVAS (Newland) (16:01): I will make my comments relatively brief today, but I would very much like to commend the comments of my colleagues and also of the opposition with respect to the devastating earthquake in Morocco. The member for Badcoe already touched on how lucky we are to be in the particular geopolitical climate we are in here in Australia and in South Australia. It is something I always touch on when I bring in schoolkids for school tours.

I talk about the civility of our democratic process and the fact that, when something goes wrong, we work together. I also talk about just how lucky we are to live in and be governed in a place that has the ability to do that—to work together when things are going wrong. I am incredibly proud and glad, as I always am, to see bipartisan support when something is going wrong across the world and when another country or another place needs our support and our help.

Like so many others, I was incredibly saddened to hear of the devastation across Morocco. I read, probably about half an hour ago, that the death toll has increased in the last 24 hours to about 2,900 people, mostly in remote settlements in the mountains. The number of people injured has also doubled from the figures that I looked at just yesterday.

The injuries now are over 5,500, and the reported injuries last night, when I looked, were at around only 2,500 or so, which I think speaks to two things: firstly, it speaks to the impact of the devastation across the country and, secondly, I think it also really shows the absolute speed and tenacity with which the emergency services individuals are going in. They are helping people, they are finding people and they are getting people into health care and finding them the support they need. I think that seeing those figures increase, as sad as it is, does show the work that is going on to recover people and to assist them in the midst of that disaster.

We also know that, as with all natural disasters, we are yet to see the full impacts of that devastation, whether it be in continued increases in injury numbers, the possibility of increased deaths, the possibility of aftershocks and, of course, also the physical and emotional injuries that will have a lasting impact on the Moroccan people.

The Moroccan government have assessed thus far that over 300,000 people have been either displaced or rendered homeless as a result of the earthquake. I think about the impact that that will have, not just on the individuals directly impacted but on the country, both economically and socially and otherwise for many years to come.

We have some relatives who live in Louisiana and who would come to visit us every couple of years. I remember that every visit, even if it had been two or three years between visits, they would talk to us about how where they lived in Louisiana had never recovered and would never recover completely from the impacts of Hurricane Katrina. They talked about how it had very much changed the landscape of where they lived forever; how, economically, they were never fully able to come back from that; and how, socially, they always would carry the wounds of that natural disaster. When seeing the numbers of displaced people and people who are without homes, I worry very much for the long-term impacts on individuals who have been affected by this crisis.

We know that entire villages have been destroyed, historic buildings have been lost and entire families killed. My thoughts are particularly with those individuals, especially children, who have had to watch those things happen and just what that means for their emotional and mental development, particularly in those really formative years, having such an extreme trauma, watching those things happen, not just physical injuries but the emotional injuries that it will cause many of them for the rest of their lives.

As always, I also acknowledge, and I touched very briefly on this before, the critical work of rescue crews and emergency services in searching for survivors, providing critical first aid, and also those who are taking individuals whether it be to hospitals or wherever they may be going in those final moments. There are, of course, so many health workers, government workers, volunteers and so many people who are already involved in the aftermath, and I would like to very much put on the record my thanks to those individuals who are working tirelessly to save people and bring them back together.

This week, as we all know, marks the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City. We all know, and it has been very well documented, the impact that had and continues to have on emergency services persons who attended at the scene and afterwards. I think it is really important to note that in an event like this so many emergency services personnel are putting themselves at risk. They are making the decision to go to work to save people knowing that they may be at risk themselves. I think that is a true testament not just to the emergency services as a whole but to the kind of individual who makes the decision to help people for a living.

I saw a study on the news last night that emergency services personnel are among the most trusted professions in Australia. They are considered the most trusted people. I think that says a lot. The people who have the heart and the strength to go into those roles are the same ones who are putting themselves at risk emotionally, physically and otherwise when saving individuals in the wake of a natural disaster.

I would very much like to express my greatest condolences to the Moroccan community in South Australia, however small it may be. I know that many feel a tie or a connection to Morocco in some way. I studied French at university, and each person had to choose a Francophone country to do most of their thesis work on throughout that study, and Morocco was the subject of my study. So, although I do not have a Moroccan heritage, I do feel a connection to it. As mentioned, the member for Badcoe feels a particular connection to it. I know that perhaps even though the community here is small the love for the country is large, and so many people have been to Morocco and experienced their beautiful traditions and customs with such an amalgamation of different cultures and experiences in such a beautiful place.

I encourage all those who are able to assist, whether it be by small donations to large charities that are assisting. Of course, when it is safe, I encourage those to return to Morocco. We know that the tourist economies after natural disasters never quite return to what they were at the time prior to those natural disasters. I know that when they are able to rebuild, when they are able to take on tourists again, Morocco will continue to have so much to offer people from around the world, whether it be in culture, art, food or heritage and the strength of their people following this horrific event. I very much commend the motion and express my deepest condolences to all those who have been impacted.

Ms WORTLEY (Torrens) (16:08): I rise in support of the motion moved by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs regarding the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco at 11.11pm local time last Friday 8 September. In doing so, I offer my heartfelt condolences to those impacted in Morocco and the Moroccan communities across the world.

With the loss of family and friends, the death toll rising each day and thousands injured, the destruction of their homes and the impact on their communities, the sorrow and the pain, it is truly an enormous tragedy. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one understands the true meaning of grief, and I know that there are no words that can express the suffering that so many in Morocco are experiencing, as are their families spread across the globe including those right here in South Australia.

Just a few weeks ago, at the FIFA Fan Festival, I spoke to Moroccan journalists who were conducting interviews asking fans from all nations to give a shout-out to the Moroccan team. They were so proud of their Women's World Cup team making their debut at the FIFA Women's World Cup here in Australia. I was happy to oblige, congratulating them on their success in qualifying while speaking on camera in my gold and green Matildas scarf. They said that that was why they asked me. They wanted the local crowds to get behind them. I want to say now that today our thoughts are with them.

I understand that the Australian government is providing emergency humanitarian assistance to people affected by the earthquake through local organisations, including the Red Cross and Red Crescent, to deliver immediate life-saving assistance, including emergency shelter, first aid, protection and psychological support, and it stands ready to consider requests for assistance.

Here in Australia we have watched the devastating impact of the earthquake, as it unfolds, through the media. At this time of turmoil and great sadness, I know the thoughts and wishes of many in our South Australian community are with the greater Moroccan community and those involved in rescue efforts and the provision of medical assistance. I extend my sincere condolences and commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (16:11): Today, I rise in support of the motion put forward by the minister and I would like to convey my express condolences to the global Moroccan community in what is their hour of need. At times like this, you count your blessings. What has happened and is unfolding in Morocco is a huge human tragedy and, as a global community, we need to do whatever we can to assist. I understand that the Australian government makes a contribution through the Red Cross disaster relief and emergency fund. We contribute to that and moneys from that will be used to assist the Moroccan community to rebuild.

In the short term, it is not a case of rebuilding but a case of finding out the extent of the disaster in that country and assisting those people to locate family members. It is my understanding from news reports that at least 2,680 people have already been confirmed dead in this event, over 2,500 have been injured and thousands are unaccounted for.

Sometimes I do not think even the pictures on the television actually convey the enormity of what has happened in an event like this. I have seen the pictures and the sheer devastation. What it does not quite convey is the full impact this event has had on the Moroccan people. When you hear stories of people talking about their family members who have been lost and the sheer grief and trauma they are going through, this is not going to be an event that can be easily rectified or remedied.

From my point of view, the loss of buildings is tragedy enough but, for me, my greatest concern is the impact on the Moroccan people this will have in an intergenerational way. Whole families have been killed, and that continuity of families in villages and communities, that intergenerational culture is taken forward, and this event will have a major impact in the long term on communities in Morocco.

I will not repeat all the things that the previous speakers have said. I think they have put it better than I can. It is great to see that we have bipartisan support on this motion. I would like to take this opportunity to say that the people from Morocco can count on not only the people from South Australia but the people from Australia to assist as much as we can. My condolences to those families.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley) (16:14): I, too, stand to speak in favour of the motion and to spare a moment for Moroccan Australians—those of Moroccan heritage—who have chosen to call Australia home. One of the things we have become accustomed to in Australia since the war is that we are a nation of people around the world. Morocco is a country that we might not have a terribly large relationship with. I think you could probably count on one hand the number of times that any of us may have had a conversation about Morocco in the last 12 months before this event. This has certainly brought to light an awful natural disaster in another part of the world that people migrate from to come to Australia.

Morocco is an interesting place. It is ranked as having the best infrastructure in Africa, which is unfortunate in a way, of course, because so much of it was destroyed by the earthquake. They spent $15 billion on infrastructure in just the five years between 2010 and 2015. They were the first African country to have a high-speed train. We know that their neighbours to the north, Spain, spent the nineties and the early 2000s linking all their cities with high-speed trains. Morocco is the first place in Africa to have high-speed trains, so we are not talking about old villages or undeveloped land that have been affected by this; we are talking about a significant investment by a country that has moved into the market system over the last 30 years.

I am certainly hoping they can deal with the bottleneck of accepting aid from the rest of the world that has popped up. I was sad to hear that, after a death count of 2,900, they are now focusing on clearing and looking for bodies than on finding survivors so many days after the event. My thoughts are in particular with those South Australians who have family ties in Morocco and, as fellow world citizens, the people of Morocco themselves.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (16:18): I thank my colleagues on both sides of the house for the support for this motion. As I said, the Moroccan community is quite small, but it is growing here in South Australia and our thoughts are with them and their families in Morocco. Our thoughts are with people as they recover.

I thank the member for Badcoe for her connection in spending time and looking at the culture and I also thank the member for Newland. Just like the member for Torrens, I met the Moroccans who were here during the FIFA World Cup who were really excited they had a team playing here representing their country for the very first time. They were doing quite well also, so it was a real source of pride.

Australians are going to ask: how can we help, what can we do? Of course donations to groups such as the Australian Red Cross and Human Appeal International are avenues that have those supports. Red Cross often plays a very strong role in connecting families who are often missing or lost, and of course in these natural disasters often one of the tragic things is that people are separated and they spend a lot of time trying to reunite and find out what is happening.

There is a fundraiser here in Adelaide on Monday 18 September. I want to recognise the great work of the Parwana Afghan Kitchen, a famous restaurant here. In conjunction with Adelaide Sisters Association, they are doing a fundraising dinner for rescue efforts for Morocco on Monday 18 September. It is $100 a head and there will be limited tickets, so I would encourage people that this is something they can do as a way of giving back, but to make those direct donations as well.

I think that when we talk about and see what happens with these devastating natural impacts it kind of takes your breath away. Those pictures on our news show the devastation, but I also know that we often move on quite quickly, and the reality is that it will take an enormous amount of time not only to clean up and to support those with the rebuilding but also to see the trauma that is experienced by families who have lost so much.

Our thoughts are with the diaspora of the Moroccan community and of course those living with this tragedy as well. On behalf of the government of South Australia we move this motion. We wish them recovery as soon as possible but our thoughts are with Morocco as they start to heal and rebuild.

Motion carried.

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